Pest Control - Ant and Spider Experts - Gopher and Termite Control Pest Control Fumigation Pest Control Ants and general pest can be, well...pests! Our technicians have been serving Southern California for over 15 years and are experts at getting rid of all those little bugs. During hotter weather ants and bugs tend to look for shelter, food and water in you home, even without your approval. Because of the sheer number of ants and bugs we strongly recommend taking advantage of our monthly pest control program. The inital service will create a barrier around your home to keep the bugs out, and every month your technician will visit your home to reinforce that barrier created on the initial visit. Bugs already inside? No problem! Our trained technicians can take care of the problem no matter how bad. Interior treatment pricing is based on square footage. To find out more call us today ! The best way to defeat them though is with on-going control. Call us to schedule an appointment and put an end to your pest control problems. More Ant Control Info: Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera.

They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as super organisms because the colony appears to operate as a single entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass. Ants are distinguished from other insects by the following traits: elbowed antennae; the presence of a metapleural gland; a strongly constricted second abdominal segment forming a distinct node-like petiole, a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole).

The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ants have a wingless worker caste. Ant bodies, like those of other insects, have an exoskeleton, meaning their bodies are externally covered in a protective casing, as opposed to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Ants do not have lungs. Oxygen passes through tiny valves, the spiracles, in their exoskeleton — the same holes through which carbon dioxide leaves their body. Nor do they have a heart; a colorless blood, the hemolymph, runs from their head to rear and back again along a long tube. Their nervous system is much like a human spinal cord in that it is a continuous cord, the ventral nerve cord, from head to rear with branches into each extremity. The three main divisions of the ant body are the head, mesosoma and metasoma or gaster. The head of an ant has many important parts. Ant eyes include the compound eyes, similar to fly eyes: numerous tiny lenses attached together which enables them to see movement very well.

They also have three small ocelli on the top of the head, which detect light and dark. Most ants have poor to mediocre eyesight; some are blind altogether. A few have exceptional vision though, such as Australia's bulldog ant. Also attached to the head of an ant are two antennae ("feelers"). The antennae are special organs that help ants detect chemicals, including those used in communication, as well as a sense of touch. Ants release pheromones to communicate with each other and the antennae pick up these chemical signals. The head also has two strong jaws, the mandibles, which are used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defense. In some species there is also a small pocket inside the mouth to hold food for passing to others. The thorax of the ant is where all six legs are attached. At the end of each leg is a hooked claw that helps ants climb and hang onto things. Most queens and male ants have wings, which they drop after the nuptial flight. The wing scars are then visible, a distinguishing feature of queens. Wingless queens (ergatoids) and males can also occur. Gopher Patrol is officially licensed by the California Dept.

of Pesticide Regulation .P.R. # 5199. All "Agricultural" work is performed under license, #32514. Under same ownership since 1996. Ant Gallery :: Bed Bugs Pest Control NYC Bed Bugs Pest Control NYC We Specialize in Bed Bug Pest Control in NYC CALL NOW: CONTACTS We Specialize in Bed Bug Pest Control in all Five Boroughs of New York City, including: NYC , Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , Bronx and Staten Island . Bed Bugs Pest Control NYC is your best resource for residential and commercial pest control and extermination services in all of New York City. Our expertly trained pest control exterminator staff can advise you on your specific pest control needs. Within our site you will find links to insect identification, insect help pages, rodent identification, recommended measures, professional equipment, and information about professional strength products. Please call us now for more details! Click on Your Borough: Manhattan Your New York City Solution! Serving NYC, with offices in all five boroughs in the New York City area including Manhattan , Brooklyn , Queens , Bronx & Staten Island . The added costs of inaction . . . Can you afford to put off solving your pest problem?

Many species can cause permanant damage to furniture, bedding, and the very structure of your valuables ! Ant Gallery Ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers", "soldiers", and other castes), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the colony appears to operate as a unified entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, parts of Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and other remote or inhospitable islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.

Termites, sometimes called white ants, are not closely related to ants, although they have similar social structures. Velvet ants, although resembling large ants, are wingless female wasps. Evolution The Formicidae family belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes sawflies, bees and wasps. Ants are a lineage derived from within the vespoid wasps. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that ants evolved from vespoids in the mid-Cretaceous period about 120 to 170 million years ago. After the rise of angiosperm plants about 100 million years ago, they diversified and assumed ecological dominance about 60 million years ago. Several fossils from the Cretaceous are intermediate in form between wasps and ants, adding further evidence for wasp ancestry. Like other Hymenoptera, the genetic system found in ants is haplodiploidy. In 1966 E. O. Wilson, et al. obtained the first amber fossil remains of an ant (Sphecomyrma freyi) from the Cretaceous era. The specimen was trapped in amber from New Jersey and is more than 80 million years old.

This species provides the clearest evidence of a link between modern ants and non-social wasps. Cretaceous ants shared both wasp-like and modern ant-like characteristics. During the Cretaceous era, only a few species of primitive ants ranged widely on the super-continent Laurasia (the northern hemisphere). They were scarce in comparison to other insects (about only 1%). Ants became dominant after adaptive radiation at the beginning of the Tertiary Period. Of the species extant in the Cretaceous and Eocene eras, only 1 of approximately 10 genera is now extinct. 56% of the genera represented on the Baltic amber fossils (early Oligocene), and 96% of the genera represented in the Dominican amber fossils (apparently early Miocene) still survive today. Morphology Ants are distinct in their morphology from other insects by having elbowed antennae, metapleural glands, and by having the second abdominal segment strongly constricted into a distinct node-like petiole, forming a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole).

The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ant bodies, like other insects, have an exoskeleton, an external covering that provides a protective casing around the body and a place to attach muscles, in contrast to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Insects do not have lungs, but oxygen and other gases like carbon dioxide pass through their exoskeleton through tiny valves called spiracles. Insects also lack closed blood vessels but have a long, thin, perforated tube along the top of the body (called the "dorsal aorta") that functions like a heart in that it pumps hemolymph towards the head, thus creating some circulation of the internal fluids. Their nervous system consists of a ventral nerve cord running the length of the body, with several ganglia and branches along the way into each extremity. The three main divisions of the ant body are the head, mesosoma and metasoma or gaster. The head of an ant has many sensory organs. Ants, like most insects, have compound eyes with numerous tiny lenses attached together enabling them to detect movement very well.

They also have three small ocelli (simple eyes) on the top of the head, which detect light levels and polarization.[9] Most ants have poor to mediocre eyesight and others are blind altogether. Some ants have exceptional vision though, including Australia's bulldog ant. Also attached are two antennae ("feelers") which are special organs that help ants detect chemicals. The antennae are used in communication, detecting pheromones released by other ants. The antennae are also used as feelers, aiding in their sensory input about what is in front of them. The head also has two strong jaws, the mandibles, used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defense. In some species a small pocket inside the mouth holds food for passing to other ants or their developing larvae. The thorax of the ant is where all six legs are attached. At the end of each leg is a hooked claw that helps ants climb and hang onto things. Most queens and male ants have wings; queens shed the wings after the nuptial flight leaving visible stubs, a distinguishing feature of queens. Wingless queens (ergatoids) and males can also occur.

The metasoma (the "abdomen") of the ant houses many important internal organs, including the reproductive organs. Many species of ants have stingers used for subduing prey and defending their nests. Development The life of an ant starts with an egg. If the egg is fertilized, the ant will be female (diploid); if not, it will be male (haploid). Ants are holometabolous, and develop by complete metamorphosis, passing through larval and pupal stages (with the pupae being exarate) before they become adults. The larval stage is particularly helpless - for instance it lacks legs entirely - and cannot care for itself. The difference between queens and workers (which are both female), and between different castes of workers when they exist, is determined by the feeding in the larval stage. Food is given to the larvae by a process called trophallaxis in which an ant regurgitates food previously held in its crop for communal storage. This is also how adults distribute food amongst themselves. Larvae and pupae need to be kept at fairly constant temperatures to ensure proper development, and so are often moved around the various brood chambers within the colony.

A new worker spends the first few days of its adult life caring for the queen and young. After that it graduates to digging and other nest work, and then to foraging and defense of the nest. These changes are fairly abrupt and define what are called temporal castes. One theory of why this occurs is because foraging has a high death rate, so ants only participate in it when they are older and closer to death anyway. In a few ants there are also physical castes - workers come in a spectrum of sizes, called minor, median, and major workers, the latter beginning foraging sooner. Often the larger ants will have disproportionately larger heads, and correspondingly stronger mandibles. Such individuals are sometimes called "soldier" ants because their stronger mandibles make them more effective in fighting other creatures, although they are still in fact worker ants and their "duties" typically do not vary greatly from the minor or median workers. In a few species the median workers have disappeared, creating a sharp divide and clear physical difference between the minors and majors. Most of the common ant species breed in the same way. Only the queen and breeding females have the ability to mate. Contrary to popular belief, some ant nests have multiple queens.

The male ants, called drones, along with the breeding females emerge from pupation with wings (although some species, like army ants, do not produce winged queens), and do nothing throughout their life except eat and mate. At this time, all breeding ants, excluding the queen, are carried outside where other colonies of similar species are doing the same. Then, all the winged breeding ants take flight. Mating occurs in flight and the males die shortly afterward. The females that survive land and seek a suitable place to begin a colony. There, they break off their own wings and begin to lay eggs, which they care for. Sperm obtained during their nuptial flight is stored and used to fertilize all future eggs produced. The first workers to hatch are weak and smaller than later workers, but they begin to serve the colony immediately. They enlarge the nest, forage for food and care for the other eggs. This is how most new colonies start. A few species that have multiple queens can start a new colony as a queen from the old nest takes a number of workers to a new site and founds a colony there. Ant colonies can be long-lived.

The queens themselves can live for up to 30 years, while workers live from 1 to 3 years. Males, however, are more transitory, surviving only a few weeks. Thus ants are more K-selected than most insects. Ant queens are estimated to live 100 times longer than solitary insects of a similar size. Ants survive the winter by going into a state of dormancy or inactivity. The forms of inactivity are varied and some temperate species have larvae that go into diapause while in others the adults alone pass the winter in a state of reduced activity. This does not happen in the tropics. Polymorphism Ants show a wide range of morphological differences between the castes. While in some species, these differences are small, they are large in others. In some ant species there can be several size variants within the worker castes. Workers cannot mate; however, because of the haplodiploid sex-determination system in ants, workers of a number of species are able to lay unfertilized eggs leading to fully functional haploid males.

The role of workers may change with their age and in some species, young workers are fed until their gasters are distended, and play a role in food storage. These workers with a storage role are termed repletes. Choose Map: Pest Control - Ant Control - Spider Control Call now to put an end to pests: G​oph​er patrol Pest Control Ant and general pest control Ants and general pest can be, well...pests! Our technicians have been serving Southern California for over 15 years and are experts at getting rid of all those little bugs. During hotter weather ants and bugs tend to look for shelter, food and water in you home, even without your approval. Because of the sheer number of ants and bugs we strongly recommend taking advantage of our monthly pest control program. The initial service will create a barrier around your home to keep the bugs out, and every month your technician will visit your home to reinforce that barrier created on the initial visit. Bugs already inside? No problem! Our trained technicians can take care of the problem no matter how bad. Interior treatment pricing is based on square footage. To find out more call us today! The best way to defeat them though is with on-going control.

Call us to schedule an appointment and put an end to your pest control problems. More Ant Control Info: Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as super organisms because the colony appears to operate as a single entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.

Ants are distinguished from other insects by the following traits: elbowed antennae; the presence of a metapleural gland; a strongly constricted second abdominal segment forming a distinct node-like petiole, a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ants have a wingless worker caste. ​Ant bodies, like those of other insects, have an exoskeleton, meaning their bodies are externally covered in a protective casing, as opposed to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Ants do not have lungs. Oxygen passes through tiny valves, the spiracles, in their exoskeleton — the same holes through which carbon dioxide leaves their body. Nor do they have a heart; a colorless blood, the hemolymph, runs from their head to rear and back again along a long tube.

Their nervous system is much like a human spinal cord in that it is a continuous cord, the ventral nerve cord, from head to rear with branches into each extremity. 1-888-466-4674 Pest Control - Gopher Control California Pest Control PEST CONTROL Ants and general pest can be, well...pests! Our technicians have been serving Southern California for over 15 years and are experts at getting rid of all those little bugs. During hotter weather ants and bugs tend to look for shelter, food and water in you home, even without your approval. Because of the sheer number of ants and bugs we strongly recommend taking advantage of our monthly pest control program. The inital service will create a barrier around your home to keep the bugs out, and every month your technician will visit your home to reinforce that barrier created on the initial visit. Bugs already inside? No problem! Our trained technicians can take care of the problem no matter how bad. Interior treatment pricing is based on square footage. To find out more call us today ! The best way to defeat them though is with on-going control. Call us to schedule an appointment and put an end to your pest control problems.

More Ant Control Info: Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as super organisms because the colony appears to operate as a single entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.

Ants are distinguished from other insects by the following traits: elbowed antennae; the presence of a metapleural gland; a strongly constricted second abdominal segment forming a distinct node-like petiole, a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ants have a wingless worker caste. Ant bodies, like those of other insects, have an exoskeleton, meaning their bodies are externally covered in a protective casing, as opposed to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Ants do not have lungs. Oxygen passes through tiny valves, the spiracles, in their exoskeleton — the same holes through which carbon dioxide leaves their body. Nor do they have a heart; a colorless blood, the hemolymph, runs from their head to rear and back again along a long tube.

Their nervous system is much like a human spinal cord in that it is a continuous cord, the ventral nerve cord, from head to rear with branches into each extremity. The three main divisions of the ant body are the head, mesosoma and metasoma or gaster. The head of an ant has many important parts. Ant eyes include the compound eyes, similar to fly eyes: numerous tiny lenses attached together which enables them to see movement very well. They also have three small ocelli on the top of the head, which detect light and dark. Most ants have poor to mediocre eyesight; some are blind altogether. A few have exceptional vision though, such as Australia's bulldog ant. Also attached to the head of an ant are two antennae ("feelers"). The antennae are special organs that help ants detect chemicals, including those used in communication, as well as a sense of touch. Ants release pheromones to communicate with each other and the antennae pick up these chemical signals. The head also has two strong jaws, the mandibles, which are used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defense.

In some species there is also a small pocket inside the mouth to hold food for passing to others. The thorax of the ant is where all six legs are attached. At the end of each leg is a hooked claw that helps ants climb and hang onto things. Most queens and male ants have wings, which they drop after the nuptial flight. The wing scars are then visible, a distinguishing feature of queens. Wingless queens (ergatoids) and males can also occur. Mygopherguy is a proud member of The Gopher Patrol! Gopher Patrol is officially licensed by the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation .P.R. # 5199. All "Agricultural" work is performed under license, #32514. Under same ownership since 1996. "Go To The Ant" - FAOL's From A Journal by Neil Travis #52 Go To The Ant By Neil M. Travis, Montana 'Go to the ant, O sluggard, observe her ways and be wise.

Which have no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest.' [Proverbs 6:6-8] Solomon, the author of this Biblical proverb, urges the lazy person to take notice of the ant and become wise. While I am not suggesting that anglers are sluggards I would urge them to take notice of the humble ant, and in so doing become wise. Ants belong to the order of Hymenoptera and the family Formicidae. Hymenoptera include insects with veined wings and include wasps and bees. The only ants that have wings are the queens and drones, and then only for a short period of time when they breed. Ants are a diverse group of insects with over 12,000 recognized species. Ants are found almost everywhere, and the only places that lack native ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands. Ants are so numerous that they constitute over 20% of the total terrestrial animal biomass. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.

Since ants are such a cosmopolitian species unless you are fishing in Iceland there are likely to be ants somewhere nearby. Most ants live in colonies that sometimes have thousands of individual ants. Like Solomon suggested, ants are busy creatures and are constantly scurrying about gathering food that they carry back to the communal nest. Such activity often brings them near to the water, and a slight wind may be enough to send them tumbling into the water. In most temperate areas ants will be active during the warmer months of the year making them a potential food source for fish from early spring until late fall. Ants are most readily available for trout when the queens and drones [males] perform their mating ritual. Ants of a given species will send out swarms of queens and drones within a set period each year. The exact timing of these events is not as predicable as the hatches of many aquatic insects so anglers need to be prepared whenever they encounter a flight of these insects. Hot, calm days seem to be favored swarming times, and I have never seen a mating flight take place on a cool, overcast day.

Ants are terrestrial creatures, and although the queens and drones have wings during this stage of their lives it is evident that God never intended them to be great fliers. Flying is merely a way of allowing ants to distribute themselves away from the parent colony, and allow for crossbreeding to take place between adjacent colonies. Once mating is accomplished the queen quickly falls to the ground, sheds her wings, and starts searching for a suitable nest spot. The males simply die after mating. Many of the participants, both male and female, are eaten by a variety of other animals, and for the fortunate angler some of those animals may be fish. During heavy mating flights large numbers of flying ants may end up on and in the water. Ants do not float very well, but are usually trapped right in the surface film much like a mayfly spinner. Since they have such a low profile anglers often do not see them on the water, and are at a loss to explain why the fish are rising. When ants are mating is not the only time that they end up in the water. Ants crawling on streamside vegetation are easily swept into the water by wind or just carelessness.

During the warmer months ants are routinely found in the water, and trout seem especially fond of these creatures. During the doldrums of summer an ant pattern fished along the banks, over weed beds, and along current seams will often produce some of the best angling of the day. Ants fished wet, especially in riffles and below riffle areas will often produce when nothing else will draw a strike. Ants are great insects to imitate. They are simple to tie, easy to fish, and produce results. Go to the ant and become wise. ~ Neil M. Travis, Montana/Arizona Ants | Atlantis Pest Management, Inc. 7 am - 5 pm M0n - Fri 8 am - 12 pm Sat Ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals.

Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as super organisms because the colony appears to operate as a unified entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, parts of Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and other remote or inhospitable islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass. Termites, sometimes called white ants, are not closely related to ants, although they have similar social structures. Velvet ants, although resembling large ants, are wingless female wasps. Modern society considers the ant a pest. Pest control with regard to ants is more a matter of controlling local populations than eliminating an entire colony. Attempts to control ant populations of any kind are temporary solutions. Typical ants that are classified as pests include pavement ants (otherwise known as the sugar ant), Pharaoh ants, carpenter ants, Argentine ants, and the red imported fire ant.

Control of species populations are usually done with bait insecticides, which are either in the form of small granules, or as a sticky liquid that is gathered by the ants as food and then brought back to the nest where the poison is inadvertently spread to other members of the brood — a system that can severely reduce the numbers in a colony if used properly. Boric acid and borax are often used as insecticides that are relatively safe for humans. With the recent insurgence of the red imported fire ant, a tactic called broadcast baiting has been employed, by which the substance (usually a granule bait designed specifically for fire ants) is spread across a large area, such as a lawn, in order to control populations. Nests may be destroyed by tracing the ants' trails back to the nest, then pouring boiling water into it to kill the queen. This works in about 60% of the mounds and needs about 14 litres (3 gallons) per mound. Ants that tend other insects can indirectly cause pest infestations. Many homopteran insects that are considered as horticultural pests are controlled by the use of grease rings on the trunks of the trees.

These rings cut off the routes for ants and make the pest species vulnerable to parasites and predators. Ant Gallery :: Bed Bugs Pest Control NYC Ants Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers", "soldiers", and other castes), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the colony appears to operate as a unified entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, parts of Polynesia, the Hawaiian Islands, and other remote or inhospitable islands.

When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass. Termites, sometimes called white ants, are not closely related to ants, although they have similar social structures. Velvet ants, although resembling large ants, are wingless female wasps. Evolution The Formicidae family belongs to the order Hymenoptera, which also includes sawflies, bees and wasps. Ants are a lineage derived from within the vespoid wasps. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that ants evolved from vespoids in the mid-Cretaceous period about 120 to 170 million years ago. After the rise of angiosperm plants about 100 million years ago, they diversified and assumed ecological dominance about 60 million years ago. Several fossils from the Cretaceous are intermediate in form between wasps and ants, adding further evidence for wasp ancestry. Like other Hymenoptera, the genetic system found in ants is haplodiploidy. In 1966 E. O. Wilson, et al.

obtained the first amber fossil remains of an ant (Sphecomyrma freyi) from the Cretaceous era. The specimen was trapped in amber from New Jersey and is more than 80 million years old. This species provides the clearest evidence of a link between modern ants and non-social wasps. Cretaceous ants shared both wasp-like and modern ant-like characteristics. During the Cretaceous era, only a few species of primitive ants ranged widely on the super-continent Laurasia (the northern hemisphere). They were scarce in comparison to other insects (about only 1%). Ants became dominant after adaptive radiation at the beginning of the Tertiary Period. Of the species extant in the Cretaceous and Eocene eras, only 1 of approximately 10 genera is now extinct. 56% of the genera represented on the Baltic amber fossils (early Oligocene), and 96% of the genera represented in the Dominican amber fossils (apparently early Miocene) still survive today.

Morphology Ants are distinct in their morphology from other insects by having elbowed antennae, metapleural glands, and by having the second abdominal segment strongly constricted into a distinct node-like petiole, forming a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ant bodies, like other insects, have an exoskeleton, an external covering that provides a protective casing around the body and a place to attach muscles, in contrast to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Insects do not have lungs, but oxygen and other gases like carbon dioxide pass through their exoskeleton through tiny valves called spiracles. Insects also lack closed blood vessels but have a long, thin, perforated tube along the top of the body (called the "dorsal aorta") that functions like a heart in that it pumps hemolymph towards the head, thus creating some circulation of the internal fluids.

Their nervous system consists of a ventral nerve cord running the length of the body, with several ganglia and branches along the way into each extremity. The three main divisions of the ant body are the head, mesosoma and metasoma or gaster. The head of an ant has many sensory organs. Ants, like most insects, have compound eyes with numerous tiny lenses attached together enabling them to detect movement very well. They also have three small ocelli (simple eyes) on the top of the head, which detect light levels and polarization.[9] Most ants have poor to mediocre eyesight and others are blind altogether. Some ants have exceptional vision though, including Australia's bulldog ant. Also attached are two antennae ("feelers") which are special organs that help ants detect chemicals. The antennae are used in communication, detecting pheromones released by other ants. The antennae are also used as feelers, aiding in their sensory input about what is in front of them. The head also has two strong jaws, the mandibles, used to carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defense. In some species a small pocket inside the mouth holds food for passing to other ants or their developing larvae.

The thorax of the ant is where all six legs are attached. At the end of each leg is a hooked claw that helps ants climb and hang onto things. Most queens and male ants have wings; queens shed the wings after the nuptial flight leaving visible stubs, a distinguishing feature of queens. Wingless queens (ergatoids) and males can also occur. The metasoma (the "abdomen") of the ant houses many important internal organs, including the reproductive organs. Many species of ants have stingers used for subduing prey and defending their nests. Development The life of an ant starts with an egg. If the egg is fertilized, the ant will be female (diploid); if not, it will be male (haploid). Ants are holometabolous, and develop by complete metamorphosis, passing through larval and pupal stages (with the pupae being exarate) before they become adults. The larval stage is particularly helpless - for instance it lacks legs entirely - and cannot care for itself. The difference between queens and workers (which are both female), and between different castes of workers when they exist, is determined by the feeding in the larval stage.

Food is given to the larvae by a process called trophallaxis in which an ant regurgitates food previously held in its crop for communal storage. This is also how adults distribute food amongst themselves. Larvae and pupae need to be kept at fairly constant temperatures to ensure proper development, and so are often moved around the various brood chambers within the colony. A new worker spends the first few days of its adult life caring for the queen and young. After that it graduates to digging and other nest work, and then to foraging and defense of the nest. These changes are fairly abrupt and define what are called temporal castes. One theory of why this occurs is because foraging has a high death rate, so ants only participate in it when they are older and closer to death anyway. In a few ants there are also physical castes - workers come in a spectrum of sizes, called minor, median, and major workers, the latter beginning foraging sooner. Often the larger ants will have disproportionately larger heads, and correspondingly stronger mandibles.

Such individuals are sometimes called "soldier" ants because their stronger mandibles make them more effective in fighting other creatures, although they are still in fact worker ants and their "duties" typically do not vary greatly from the minor or median workers. In a few species the median workers have disappeared, creating a sharp divide and clear physical difference between the minors and majors. Most of the common ant species breed in the same way. Only the queen and breeding females have the ability to mate. Contrary to popular belief, some ant nests have multiple queens. The male ants, called drones, along with the breeding females emerge from pupation with wings (although some species, like army ants, do not produce winged queens), and do nothing throughout their life except eat and mate. At this time, all breeding ants, excluding the queen, are carried outside where other colonies of similar species are doing the same. Then, all the winged breeding ants take flight. Mating occurs in flight and the males die shortly afterward. The females that survive land and seek a suitable place to begin a colony. There, they break off their own wings and begin to lay eggs, which they care for.

Sperm obtained during their nuptial flight is stored and used to fertilize all future eggs produced. The first workers to hatch are weak and smaller than later workers, but they begin to serve the colony immediately. They enlarge the nest, forage for food and care for the other eggs. This is how most new colonies start. A few species that have multiple queens can start a new colony as a queen from the old nest takes a number of workers to a new site and founds a colony there. Ant colonies can be long-lived. The queens themselves can live for up to 30 years, while workers live from 1 to 3 years. Males, however, are more transitory, surviving only a few weeks. Thus ants are more K-selected than most insects. Ant queens are estimated to live 100 times longer than solitary insects of a similar size. Ants survive the winter by going into a state of dormancy or inactivity. The forms of inactivity are varied and some temperate species have larvae that go into diapause while in others the adults alone pass the winter in a state of reduced activity. This does not happen in the tropics.

Polymorphism Ants show a wide range of morphological differences between the castes. While in some species, these differences are small, they are large in others. In some ant species there can be several size variants within the worker castes. Workers cannot mate; however, because of the haplodiploid sex-determination system in ants, workers of a number of species are able to lay unfertilized eggs leading to fully functional haploid males. The role of workers may change with their age and in some species, young workers are fed until their gasters are distended, and play a role in food storage. These workers with a storage role are termed repletes. Ants : Video : Photos : Information : Animal Insect Source Ant feeding off honey Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals.

Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support them. Ant colonies are sometimes described as superorganisms because the colony appears to operate as a single entity. Leafcutter Ants - The first Agriculture Video, Movie, Film, Clip. Mpeg Socialize this page Your browser does not support inline frames or is currently configured not to display inline frames. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands.[1] When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.[2] Termites, sometimes called white ants, are not closely related to ants, although they have similar social structures. Velvet ants, although resembling large ants, are wingless female wasps. Evolution Comment "The most interesting creature alive. And the smartest. Keeping lice captive to drink their sap...

wow!!!" Pest Control Los Angeles County - Gopher and Termite Control Pest Control Fumigation Ant Control Ants and general pest can be, well...pests! Our technicians have been serving Southern California for over 17 years and are experts at getting rid of all those little bugs. During hotter weather ants and bugs tend to look for shelter, food and water in you home, even without your approval. Because of the sheer number of ants and bugs in Los Angeles County, we strongly recommend taking advantage of our monthly pest control program. The initial service will create a barrier around your home to keep the bugs out, and every month your technician will visit your home to reinforce that barrier created on the initial visit. Bugs already inside? No problem! Our trained technicians in Los Angeles County can take care of the problem no matter how bad. Interior treatment pricing is based on square footage. To find out more call us today! The best way to defeat them though is with on-going control. Call us at 1-877-268-5605 or 1-310-929-5442 to schedule an appointment and put an end to your pest control problems.

You can also schedule an appointment by filling out our Schedule an Appointment form . More Ant Control Info: Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. They are a diverse group of more than 12,000 species, with a higher diversity in the tropics. They are known for their highly organized colonies and nests, which sometimes consist of millions of individuals. Individuals are divided into sub-fertile, and more commonly sterile, females ("workers"), fertile males ("drones"), and fertile females ("queens"). Colonies can occupy and use a wide area of land to support themselves. Ant colonies are sometimes described as super organisms because the colony appears to operate as a single entity. Ants have colonized almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ant species are Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Hawaiian Islands. When all their individual contributions are added up, they may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass.

Ants are distinguished from other insects by the following traits: elbowed antennae; the presence of a metapleural gland; a strongly constricted second abdominal segment forming a distinct node-like petiole, a narrow waist between their mesosoma (thorax plus the first abdominal segment, which is fused to it) and gaster (abdomen less the abdominal segments in the petiole). The petiole can be formed by one or two nodes (only the second, or the second and third abdominal segments can form it). Ants have a wingless worker caste. Ant bodies, like those of other insects, have an exoskeleton, meaning their bodies are externally covered in a protective casing, as opposed to the internal skeletal framework of humans and other vertebrates. Ants do not have lungs. Oxygen passes through tiny valves, the spiracles, in their exoskeleton — the same holes through which carbon dioxide leaves their body. Nor do they have a heart; a colorless blood, the hemolymph, runs from their head to rear and back again along a long tube.

Their nervous system is much like a human spinal cord in that it is a continuous cord, the ventral nerve cord, from head to rear with branches into each extremity. The three main divisions of the ant body are the head, mesosoma and metasoma or gaster. The head of an ant has many important parts. Ant eyes include the compound eyes, similar to fly eyes: numerous tiny lenses attached together which enables them to see movement very well. They also have three small ocelli on the top of the head, which detect light and dark. Gopher Patrol is officially licensed by the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation .P.R. # 5199. All "Agricultural" work is performed under license, #32514. Under same ownership since 1996.

Question: When all their individual contributions are added up, what insects may constitute up to 15 to 25% of the total terrestrial animal biomass?
Answer: Ants